Elena hadn't slept more than a few hours. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the two cars parked across the street. Adrian's face when he realized she'd been standing near the glass. The fear he tried and failed to hide.
When she finally stepped out of her room, she found what she expected.
Adrian.
Standing guard.
He leaned against the opposite wall, suit jacket off, sleeves rolled to his forearms. He looked like he hadn't even blinked through the night. His jaw was tight, stubble shadowing his skin, eyes a little too sharp, a little too tired.
He straightened immediately when he saw her.
"You slept?" he asked.
She nodded. "A little."
He looked her over like checking for invisible wounds. "…Good."
She hesitated. "Did you?"
"Doesn't matter."
Of course he'd say that.
She opened her mouth to say something, thank you, maybe but before she could, he picked up his phone, reading a message that changed his whole expression in seconds.
He exhaled sharply. "Of course. Today of all days."
"What happened?"
"Ferris," he said plainly. "He's just issued a statement."
Elena's stomach tightened. "A… statement? About what?"
He held up the phone. "Us."
Before she could ask, he was already walking.
She followed quickly, trailing him down the hallway.
"What does the statement say?"
"That Ferris and I are in a 'disagreement' over the future of the Vale corporation," he said flatly.
"That's not terrible."
"He also implied," Adrian added, his jaw clenching, "that you're the cause of the instability."
She stopped. "What?"
"He used the phrase 'reckless marital decision.'" Adrian's voice grew quieter, sharper. "He knows exactly what he's doing."
Her chest tightened. "So now the entire world thinks I'm… hurting your business?"
His silence was answer enough.
"And this was intentional," Adrian added. "To force me into a public response."
She frowned. "He wants you to… address the media?"
"Yes."
"How does that benefit him?"
"It pulls me out of the house. Into the open. Predictable, scheduled, exposed." His eyes flicked toward her. "And it forces you out too."
Her heartbeat stumbled.
"We're doing a press conference?" she asked quietly.
He hated the question. She could see it all over his face.
"We don't have a choice," he said. "If I stay silent, he'll control the narrative. If I speak alone, he'll imply we're already falling apart."
"So I… have to stand beside you."
He nodded once.
"And as of this morning," he added, "every major outlet already knows."
She swallowed. "Then this isn't just a press conference."
"No," Adrian said. "It's a battlefield."
She expected time to prepare, maybe an hour or two.
She got twenty minutes.
Serena appeared with a wardrobe team, a makeup artist, and an entire tray of jewelry that probably cost more than her entire life until now.
"Elena, love," Serena said, already scanning her with a critical gaze, "today we need elegance without intimidation. Softness without weakness. Confidence without arrogance. Understand?"
"No," Elena said honestly.
Serena clapped her hands. "Good. We'll build it."
They worked quickly. Too quickly. Elena barely processed anything. Cool brushes swept across her cheeks. Soft curls shaped into place. A pale, fitted dress chosen because it "photographed well from every angle."
"You're doing fine," Serena murmured. "Remember: the camera always lies. You simply lie better."
"That's… comforting," Elena deadpanned.
Serena smirked. "You married into the Vales. Comfort died long before you."
Elena tried to laugh, but it came out tight.
When they were done, she barely recognized herself.
She looked polished, graceful.
Like someone who fit into Adrian's world.
She didn't feel that way.
Not even close.
Adrian waited for her downstairs, already dressed in a dark suit and tie. His presence filled the space before he even turned around. For a moment, he just stared at her, not blinking, not moving, not breathing.
"Elena," he said quietly.
She didn't know what that tone meant, but it softened something inside her.
"Does it look okay?" she asked, suddenly uncertain.
He stepped closer, eyes skimming her face, her hair, the delicate fabric at her shoulder.
"You look…" His voice dropped. "Perfect."
Heat rose in her cheeks.
He noticed.
And she noticed him noticing.
For a heartbeat, the house fell away. The danger. The press. The world.
Just them.
But then Victor cleared his throat from behind Adrian.
"We need to leave, sir."
Adrian's expression snapped back into control.
"Elena," he said, "stay beside me. Don't drift. Don't look overwhelmed. Don't let anyone corner you. If I squeeze your hand, that means step back. If I say your name, that means we leave."
She nodded slowly. "Okay."
"And if anyone asks a question directly..."
"I don't answer," she finished softly.
His eyes flickered. "Good."
They walked out together.
Not holding hands.
Not touching.
But connected by something neither of them had the courage to name.
The car ride was silent.
Not tense. Not awkward.
Just… full.
Elena kept her eyes on the passing city, trying not to imagine crowds, cameras, headlines.
Adrian kept his eyes on her reflection in the window.
When they pulled up to the building, she finally looked outward.
A wall of reporters filled the entire street.
Lights flashing. Microphones waving. People shouting their names.
Her breath caught. "That's… a lot."
"Yes," Adrian said. "It always is."
The second the car stopped, cameras swarmed.
Security opened Adrian's door first, then Elena's. She stepped out and the noise hit her like a blow. Questions fired from every direction.
"Elena! Look this way!"
"Elena, why the secrecy?"
"Did Adrian force the marriage?"
"Is Ferris Dane telling the truth?"
"Are you pregnant?"
Elena froze.
Then a warm hand slid around her waist.
Not possessive. Not staged.
Steady.
Adrian.
He leaned slightly closer. "Ignore them. Look forward."
She swallowed and nodded.
They walked into the building together, flanked by security. Flashes exploded around them like lightning.
Inside, it was quieter but only barely.
The press conference room was already packed. A long table faced a crowd of reporters. Adrian's nameplate sat in front of the main seat. Elena's card sat beside it, much smaller.
She exhaled slowly. "I'm not ready for this."
"You're more ready than you think," Adrian murmured. "Just stay with me."
They sat.
The cameras rolled.
The Vale company spokesperson started speaking, but Elena barely heard a word. Her pulse filled her ears.
Then Adrian stood.
The room went dead silent.
"Thank you for coming," he began, voice calm, powerful, controlled. "There have been concerns raised regarding my personal life and its impact on Vale Corporation. I'm here to clarify two points."
He placed both hands on the podium.
He didn't look tense.
He looked unshakeable.
"First," he said, "my marriage is not a scandal. It is not a mistake. And it is not a liability."
Cameras clicked.
Reporters murmured.
Elena's breath hitched.
"Second," Adrian continued, "anyone suggesting otherwise is deliberately manipulating the public for personal interest."
Everyone knew he meant Ferris.
He didn't look at Elena as he spoke.
He didn't need to.
His voice alone made something warm and painful bloom in her chest.
A reporter shot up. "Adrian, are you saying Ferris Dane lied?"
Adrian didn't blink. "I'm saying Ferris Dane is irrelevant."
Another reporter: "Is your wife involved in business decisions?"
"No," Adrian said.
Elena stiffened.
He added, without missing a beat, "She has nothing to do with corporate politics, and dragging her into this conflict is unacceptable."
His voice sharpened at the last word.
Unacceptable.
He wasn't protecting his company in that moment.
He was protecting her.
More questions flew.
"Why the sudden marriage?"
"Does she have a background in finance?"
"Was it arranged?"
"Did she manipulate you?"
And then...
"Elena," a bold reporter called out, "do you love your husband?"
The room froze.
Elena's heart stopped.
Adrian's head snapped toward the reporter so fast the air seemed to crack.
"My wife," he said, voice cold as ice, "will not be answering personal questions."
"But the public has a right..."
"No," Adrian cut in. "They don't."
Cameras flashed wildly.
But the real shock wasn't what he said.
It was his expression when he looked at Elena after.
Like he realized the question had shaken her.
Like it had shaken him too.
The spokesperson stepped up quickly, announcing the closing. Security moved in. Adrian placed a hand on Elena's back, guiding her out.
Just when she thought they were free...
A loud crack echoed through the hall.
Not a gunshot.
But close enough to freeze half the room.
Panic erupted.
People screamed.
Security swarmed.
Adrian's hand locked around Elena's arm, pulling her tight against him.
"Stay down," he ordered, lowering her behind him as guards rushed forward.
She grabbed his sleeve, voice trembling. "Adrian..."
"I've got you," he said. "Nothing is getting past me. Not today."
The noise grew louder.
Reporters scrambled. Security shouted orders. Chaos rippled through the hallway.
But Adrian didn't move.
He shielded her with his entire body.
He didn't hesitate.
Not for a second.
Even when danger pressed in on all sides.
"Elena," he said, voice low, steady despite the chaos, "I need you to breathe. Look at me."
She did.
His eyes locked onto hers, fierce, focused, terrified in a way he only ever showed when she was involved.
"I'm here," he murmured. "I'm not letting anything happen to you."
And she believed him.
Not because he was Adrian Vale.
But because for the first time, she understood the truth he'd been hiding behind coldness and distance.
He wasn't pushing her away because he didn't care.
He was pushing her away because he cared so much it scared him.